055 – Things Start Moving Again

Two more days was the Sabbath. Steven was a bit uptight over not being able to get the shopping finished, but the majority of the city went to worship. Rox had attended worship as part of her activities in the palace. This day, she took Steven with.

Steven was not overly impressed with the services, having rejected most religious organizations in his youth. But he did enjoy the message; giving credit to the speaker’s enthusiasm for the subject matter.

Rox had been quietly amused at the service's simplicity over the several weeks of attending. Some of the messages were interesting, but Rox enjoyed the socializing after the initial meeting of the services more than the sermonizing.

For his part, Caspian was relieved to attend a worship service. It was not his specific denomination, but he was not as concerned about that as just taking time to acknowledge and honor God. He and Steven had blazed their way across the country to get to here, not stopping for worship. That was a break from his normal pattern. So he drank in the worship as a thirsty man finding a bubbling spring.

The next morning Steven went out with Abey and picked up all the remaining equipment. Roxanne had been able to get the Sorceress to give a final magic lesson, with Caspian in quiet attendance observing what and how Rox understood. At the end of this, Roxanne removed and handed the Sorceress the gold chains she had been wearing up to that point.

For her part once done with the shipping, Abey moved out of the Palace Guest Quarters, and into a berth with the Mountain Wolves. Steven went to see her after dinner, upon noticing that she was not accounted for in what he had come to think of as the Palace Cafeteria.

Abey was tending to Miri, who had been previously moved out of the Palace Stables into a Wolves paddock, when Steven approached.

“There you are.” Steven spoke to announce himself as the people here were attentive to their own business.

Abey forked some fodder into the feeder of the pen and then turned to Steven, leaning on the handle of the fork. “Here I am.”

“The Palace Steward said you had come here.”

“You come here looking for payment?”

Steven looked around, noting that four of the six Wolves wagons here were from the front of the train as it had rolled the few days he had been with it. This meant that the Wagon Master was nearby.

“No, not really. More just a formal goodbye.”

“And if I gave you payment?” Abey felt bound to the custom, even if Steven did not.

“Well, your time and expertise have been very helpful, both on the road, and here, equipping my wife. The Wolves have been very generous; as a merchant on my own world, I understand what profits mean. Seeing you go safely with them, that they are willing to take you in and let you make a life with them, that is payment enough. But if you insist on payment, you recall that I am letting you set the price, since I do not really know what that would be by your custom.” Steven shifted on his feet, almost leaning on the rope that defined the paddock, before seeing it would not support his weight.

Abey nodded. “My price. All right. Now?”

Steven looked around. “How soon do you leave?”

“We have been here most of two weeks. They are loading the outbound freight now, and will acquire a bit more for the next leg over the next day. Probably the day after tomorrow, I think.” Abey turned to take the fork back.

Steven followed. “I recall that they will be going north east, along the lake shore, and up the river valley to the north of the Jemed Highlands, and Gulco Mountains.”

“Yes.” Abey already knew this. It was close to where she came from, but not very. “The Duchies in that direction are profitable in the fall. Then we head south to the Wintering Ground for the animals of this train. Also we will meet with the Black Wolf Company and trade up in training the militia and army of that kingdom.”

They walked past the freight wagon loaded with fodder for the animals in the pen. Abey left the pitchfork by the rear wheel, and walked on behind the wagons, into the camp area of the square. This area was off-limits to locals while a wagon train was parked here. Steven was let through by virtue of being in company of Abey. Steven noticed that all the members of the company, even the children, wore a wooden disk on a sleeve or around the neck. The disk had the company seal/insignia on it.

Abey led Steven along between several tents, into a common area between tents with tables and benches laid out. Looking around Steven realized that all the tents enclosed this area. On one side was the cook line and dish washing line. On the opposite side sat a handful of people working on ledgers, and counting money. Abey walked to these people. The Wagon Master’s Wife was working a master ledger, recording the totals reported from the individuals, and taking bags of money.

“Master Lisel, Do you have a moment?” Abey asked as she stood before the woman writing in her ledger.

The woman finished her sums mumbling to herself, put her pen aside, blotted the fresh ink with a blotter, and then closed the book on a marker. She looked up at Abey, then at Steven.

“Abey. What can we do for you?” Lisel, the Wagon Master’s Wife, and Master of the Books, clasped her hands on the book and waited.

Abey had been taking lessons of some kind somewhere, Steven noted. She stood up straight, almost to attention. “It is time I clear my obligations to Steven. Then I can join you with free conscience.”

“I see. And how much does he ask?” Lisel replied.

Steven almost answered, as Abey paused. Then she spoke.

“He is allowing me to set the price, beyond my labor in the time spent with him. That price shall be Two Thousand.” Abey said this as though a bit rehearsed.

Steven had seen how much Rox had saved from her time here. It was a bit more than two thousand, but not a lot more. This was effectively six weeks to two months wages, depending on the pay scale. He wondered how Abey might have been able to squirrel that much away. Because Caspian had held the bag, and only given Steven as much as was needed at the time, Steven had not kept track of how much he had earned, traded for, or spent. In equipping Rox, they had spent nearing two thirds of her savings.

The Wagon Master approached from Steven’s left, apparently having heard Abey. He spoke as he approached and stood to Abey’s left. “That much. You want us to forward this to you? I know you don’t have that directly in savings.”

Abey turned to look at him. Steven realized again how much bigger he was than the average, as he towered head and shoulders over Abey, and a head taller than the Wagon Master. He suddenly felt like he was looming; or maybe just shielding this conversation from the rest of the tent.

“I wish it, Wagon Master. I have decided to commit myself to the Mountain Wolf Company, this will secure the commitment. I realize that I have less than that as rightfully my own, but in selling to the company as much of my property as I can, I can make up part of that difference. The rest can be taken from my wages for the remainder of the season.”

Abey looked slightly imploring. The Wagon Master looked at his wife. She shrugged and inclined her head. He looked back past Abey and up to Steven.

“Is that good enough for you?”

Steven hesitated briefly, but only for the show of the transaction. “Yes. It is good. I have no quibble with it.”

Steven made sure there was a bench behind him, and sat down on it.

The Wagon Master turned back to his Wife. “Give her the money and a receipt, and log it. Abey, get a receipt from Steven, acknowledging your freedom. Then you can join us fully and formally.”

The money and receipts were passed around. Steven could not read the writing, but signed where he was bidden to. Then Steven was shown aside to a table where Abey and Lisel counted two thousand silver coins into a medium sized bag. Steven had learned in the last several days of shopping that as gold was comparatively scarce, silver was the preferred coin and less likely to draw attention.

Once the bag was in Steven’s hands the Wagon Master stood Abey up and swore her into the company. A few looked briefly scandalized at this being done before Steven, but let it go. Abey was then given a wood disk of her own to wear.

Journal of Steven Caplan: Day 53

Abey is on her way. God’s blessings go with her.

Now it is time for us to get on our way. Diana and Alex are waiting for us.

They were packing to leave. Roxanne was going to keep two of her more modest drapes that she had worn around the palace. All the clothes were picked up, as were the leather things, weapons, and other things. Roxanne dressed in her linen shirt and trousers, her belt with its pouches and things around her waist, her trousers tucked into her boot tops. Her gloves and bracers were tucked into her belt. They had everything else laid out on the bed and table, and Steven decided that it was finally time. He pulled the loop that he had Roxanne’s wedding rings on out of his coin purse, and dropped them on one of Roxanne’s piles.

Roxanne went right over them and then pounced back on them in mounting excitement.

“Are these?” Rox was almost hyperventilating, the rings clenched within her hand.

Steven smiled widely. “Yes, they are.”

“How?”

“Well, we crossed paths with the man that was evidently the one who bought and sold you. He had not yet been able to sell these. So we bought them.”

“Why did you wait to give them back?”

“I needed the right moment. Don’t put them on or you are sure to have them stolen.”

Roxanne took one of her necklaces that Steven had brought with. “How about this?”

“So long as I don’t have to kill anybody to get them back.”

They quickly had the rings woven into the necklace.

They finally finished packing, and Steven took the bags and things down to the stables where their mules were, to pack them. Roxanne looked around the room that had been her home for the last months. She wanted to get after her children, but was not quite content to leave. She had not been able to find a good pair of hardwood sticks. So she figured she would find some along the way. They were going to pass through a hardwood forest, so she figured she could find a good pair of limbs to make into sticks. Then the Sorceress surprised her.

“Roxanne.”

“Yes, ma’am?”

The Sorceress walked in to the bedroom, and handed Rox the gold chains, with their leather bands, and belt. “Keep the chains. Wear them.”

“Why? They are slave chains. I’m no longer a slave.”

“After I ran those magic probes on you, I decided to give you this specific set. They were once mine, so I had to have them lengthened. But as you noticed at one point, they are different than any other set in the palace and city. The gems in these new bands act as amplifiers for magic, the chains as conductors. Wear these, and your innate latent magic capacity will be increased. They will not put you at the same level as me, or The Mage. But it will make you more formidable. And I dare say the elves may do a bit more to these.”

“So they have a practical use. Why didn’t you address this before?” Roxanne stood straight, looking down to the Sorceress.

“You weren’t ready. My focus was to teach you the baby steps. You know those now. The Mage can teach you the next steps, and how to draw upon these tools.”

Roxanne, took the wad of gold chains, and set them aside.

“Also, take this.” She handed Roxanne the short staff. “I don’t use it enough. But I think you will.”

“You’ve given me so much already.”

“Don’t say no. It’s your preferred weapon. And it will be very useful in your magic.”

Roxanne took the proffered staff. “Thank you.”

Roxanne stepped forward, and the women embraced. The Sorceress was a bit uncomfortable, but relaxed quickly. They separated, and Roxanne turned to finish packing. The Sorceress turned and left, catching Linell at the door, and leading her away, talking to her about getting the chores done.